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CALLING JACK'S BLUFF 

A CAMP PLAYLET FOR BOYS 
IN ONE ACT 



BY 

RAYMOND OSBORNE HANSON 



Author 

1 ne Missing Link, Tke Upper Trail, Kid s Awakening 
Father Ex-Oiricio, and other plays for boys. 



Copyright 1927 by Raymond O. Hancon 



Putlisted by 

The Associated Publishers 

1540 California Street 

San Francisco 



^Sfo^^ 



CALLING JACK'S BLUFF ' ^ A U 0^^ 

. i^ 
THE LAW 

CALLING JACK'S BLUFF is copyrighted and the rights of production 
are given only with the purchase of at least ten books, and is not 

transferable. 

AN ACT OF THE FIFTY-FOURTH CONGRESS 

Second Session — Chapter Four. 

Section 4966. Any person publicly performing or representing 
any dramatic composition for which a copyright has been obtained, 
without the consent of the proprietor of said dramatic composition, 
or his heirs or assigns, shall be liable for damages therefor, such 
damages in such cases to be assessed at such sum, not less than one 
hundred dollars for the first and fifty dollars for every subsequent 
performance, as to the court shall appear to be just. If the unlawful 
performance and representation be willful and for profit, such person 
or persons shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction be 
imprisoned for a period not exceeding one year. 

All persons infringing upon the copyright of "Calling Jack's 
Bluff," or pirating the play in any way or manner, will be prosecuted 
to the full extent of the law. 



CAST OF CHARACTEES 
{In Order of Appearance) 



Ed Foster Jack's Pal 

Dave Marshall—- One of the Gang 

Dick Goldsmith _ __ Jack's Rival 

Jack Thornton The Camp Bully 

Bill Williams ..'...... , Pitcher for the Team 

Mr. Hale .-*'.. Camp Director 

Orion Grant The Homesick Boy 

Silas Corntassel A Neighboring Farmer 

Sam Jason. Keeper of the Camp Store 

Amos Squire Constable 

Chauffeur, Camp Doctor, Other Boys of the Camp. 



'S'CID 81550 

eCT29'27 



CALLING JACK'S BLUFF 



ACT I. 



Scene — Boys' Camp, Anywhere. 

Wood setting, with tent at left marked "Headquarters." 
Time — Early afternoon. 

At rise of curtain Jim and Bill are playing catch in 
the background; Dick is lying on the ground reading a 
book: in front center Ed and Dave stand glaring at each 
other as though their argument has just reached a climax. 

Ed — You're too fresh, Dave Marshall, and if you say 
any more, I'll change the color of your eyebrow. Get me? 

Dave — Oh, quit your kiddin'. It would take a man to 
do that. 

Ed — Is that so? Well, we'll see. (Begins to take off 
his coat.) 

Dick — (Looking up from his book) — Say, you fellows 
make me tired. All you do is to quarrel and raise rough 
house. If you'd stop your scrapping, you'd get a whole 
lot more out of this camp. 

Ed — This is none of your affair, Dick. You're al- 
ways butting in with your sissified ideas. 

Dick— li depends on what you mean by sissified, Ed. 
I know several fellows around here who are very brave 
when it comes to bullying a guy a head shorter than they 
are, but who get rather weak in the knees if one their 
own size calls the bluff. 

Ed — I suppose you mean me for one, and Jack Thorn- 
ton for the other. 

Dick — Your keenness of perception is nothing short 
of marvelous, Ed. 

Ed — I don't get your high-brow language, but wdien 
I tell Jack what you're sayin' about him, we'll see who's 
right on the under-size business. 

Dick — There you go, first thing. Instead of defending 
your own rights, you call in Jack to help you. 

Ed — Well, Jack's my pal, and he's the, real goods, be- 
lieve me. 

Dave — Yes, if Avhat everybody says is true, he's car- 



f CALLING JACK'S BLUFF 

ryin' around a lot of goods that don't belong to him. 

Ed — (Threateningly) — ^You say another word against 
Jack, you little white-livered, moon-faced, sawed off, 
hammered-down . . . 

Dick — (Jumping up) — Wait a minute there! (Ap- 
proaching the boys) — One of you may get hurt if you 
keep that up. Dave, you want to be a little more careful 
of what you say about a bully like Jack, because he'll 
lay for you. And let me give you a piece of advice, Ed. 
If you want to stay in this Camp, you'd better cut loose 
from this pal of yours. You know there are ugly ru- 
mors going around about who's responsible for the dam- 
age that was done to the farmhouse down the road the 
other night, and if I'm not mistaken. Jack's going to get 
his walking papers pretty soon. You don't want to go 
with him, do you? 

Ed — You seem to have a lot of inside information. I 
suppose you know what we call a fellow at school, who's 
in on all the teacher's secrets. 

Dick — I'm not in on any secrets, and you know 
mighty well that I'm no teacher's pet; but I've been 
coming here for three years, and I know that Mr. Hale 
won't keep a boy in Camp who's not on the square, and 
who's always bullying the little fellows. I've seen more 
than one go home for that, and you're too fine a kid to 
get mixed up in it. You were getting along great until 
you struck up this new partnership. 

Ed — Keep your pretty compliments to yourself, Dick, 
I know what I'm doin'. 

Dick — All right, but take it from me, you'll get wise 
some day. 

(Enter Jack) 

Jack — Hello kids, what's the row? 

Ed — Oh, the Reverend Doctor Richard is in his pulpit 
again. He's been giving us some more of his fatherly 
advice, but just now he's been telling us how much he 
loves you. 



CALLING. JACK'^ BLUFF 5 

JacJ^^Oh, he has, eh? AVell, one of these days I'm 
going to return his compliments with interest. 

Ed — He says you broke the windows in Farmer Corn- 
tassel's house the other night, and that you're going to 
•get the can. 

Dick — That's not the whole truth, Ed. I spoke of 
the rumors that are going around, and I gave my per- 
sonal opinion of what may happen, that's all. 

Jack — Well, you're getting mighty close to the hos- 
pital, Dick Goldsmith, when you go airin' your views 
around here. Some day I'll hit you so hard that the 
wind from the blow will give you pneumonia before it 
ever hits you. 

Dick — (Approaching him) — All right, I'm listening 
for the sound of the wind. 

Jack — (Taken aback) — Ah, you're too much of a sissy 
to fight. You'd turn the other cheek. Ha, ha. 

Dick — ^Well, are you ready to put me to the test? 

Jack — (Looking rather sheepish) — Go on, you're just 
trying to pick a fight with me, that's all. But you just 
wait. Sometime, we'll have it out once for all. Come 
on, Ed, let's have a game of catch. (To Bill) — Here, you 
kids, give us the ball. 

Bill — (Withholding the fto//)— Well, I like your nerve! 

Jack — None of your guff now, or I'll take a fall out of 
you. . 

Bill — You can't scare me. Jack. This is my ball, and 
we're going to play till we're through. See? (Struggle 
ensues and Dick comes up just as Jack wrests the ball 
from Bill.) 

Dick — (Taking Jack by the shoulder and swinging 
him around) — Hand that ball back to him. Jack, and snap 
out of it quick, too. 

Jack — (Jerking away) — You keep out of this, Dick. 
It's none of your i"uneral. 

Dick — Give Bill his ball, or I'll return it to him my- 
self. 

Jack — Oh, you will — will you? Take that . . . (Makes 



6 CALLING JACK'S BLUFF 

a lunge at Dick just as Mr. Hale enters from right of 
stage. Jack stops short.) . . . 

Mr. Hale — Well, well, what is the trouble here? 

Dick — (Saluting) — Oh, nothing, sir. Jack was just 
going to show me a new trick in how to be prepared for 
emergencies. 

Mr. Hale — Well, I suggest that some of you be pre- 
pared for dinner by getting a few armfuls of wood for 
the cook. He's waiting for you now. (Enters tent.) 

Jack — (To Dick, as all except Jim and Bill exit) — I'll 
get you yet, see if I don't. 

Jim — (As he throws ball to Bill) — Say, Bill, there's 
only one thing that I've got against this Camp, and that 
is, there isn't a sign of a movie within a hundred miles. 
Oh me, Oh my! I thought I would die last night! 

Bill — Ah, go on, I should think you'd forget that with 
all the stunts we have around the camp-fire every evening. 

Jim — Yes, they're pretty fine, but I haven't had my 
hair raised once since I've been here. I'll never forget 
that last show I saw in the city. It was about a girl that 
got lost in the jungle, after her father drove her out when 
she wouldn't marry the fellow he'd picked himself, be- 
cause she was in love with another man. Oh, say, you 
ought to have seen it. (Getting excited and coming for- 
ward, followed by Bill.) The poor girl wanders through 
the woods, and a tiger chases her till she drops, and 
then a lion jumps on top of her, and she kills him with a 
knife. Her clothes are all torn, and there are big marks 
on her face, and then she faints dead away . . . and 
her pet elephant finds her and carries her home, and . . 

Bill — (In loud and disgusted tones) — Oh, for goodness 
sake, cut it out, Jim. You give me the creeps out here 
in the woods. Tonight I'll be yelling in my sleep. For- 
get it till you are back in town. Let's go get our tent 
ready for inspection. 

(Exit Jim and Bill) 
(Enter Orion Grant with open letter in his hand and 
looking very glum.) 



CALLING JACK'S BLUFF 7 

Mr. Hale — (Stepping from tent) — What is the mat- 
ter, Orion? You look as though something were wrong. 

Orion — Something is wrong, Mr. Hale. 

Mr. Hale— ^Vhai is it? 

Orion — Oh, nothin'. 

Mr. Hale — Well, it can't be very serious if that's the 
way you feel about it. What is the matter? 

Orion — Well — well — I — I — I'm homesick. (Begins to 
cry.) 

Mr. Hale — -Why, my clear boy, don't take on like that. 
What has made you homesick so suddenly? (Puts arm 
around him.) 

Orion — My mother says she's lonesome, and my fa- 
ther's lonesome, and my little sister's lonesome, and now 
I'm lonesome and I want to go home. (Throws himself 
on the floor in fit of weeping.) 

Mr. Hale — (Aside) — Oh, when will parents ever learn 
how to write to a boy when he's off on a vacation. (Lifts 
Orion to his feet.) Come on, old fellow, lots of boys get 
homesick during the first few days at Camp, but they 
soon get over it. Of course, your folks are lonesome. 
They'd be strange people if they were not. But you are 
with them all the rest of the year. Let's take a walk in the 
woods and straighten it out. (Exit right.) 

(Jack rushes onto stage from left, followed by Silas 
Corntassel, who grabs him by the collar.) 

Silas — So I've got ye at last, hev I, ye little hyena (as 
Jack struggles to get away) . You and your gang's been a 
pesterin' me long enough, a robbin' my orchards, drivin' 
my pigs out into the road, pullin' my wagons into the 
w^ater, and milkin' my cows, unknownst to me. And 
now ye go stealin' my chickens! 

Jack — I didn't touch 'em. Honest I didn't. 

Silas — None o' that. I saw ye a carryin' one down 
the road, and you fork over five dollars for that bantam 
rooster, or I'll hev the law on ye. Hurry up. 

Jack — I haven't got five dollars. 

Silas — Well, you git the money, and be quick about it. 



« CAXLING JACK'S BLUFF 

Jack — Let me go, and I'll bring it to you. 

Silas — I'll give ye an hour to hev it at my house an' 
if you don't I'll swear out a warrant fer ye. I mean busi- 
ness. (Exit.) 

Jack — What'll I do. The old codger'll sure have me 
in the lock-up, and after that I'll be sent home in dis- 
grace. I wonder where I can get it. I know Mr. Hale al- 
ways keeps a little money in his desk. I'll just borrow 
it and pay it back when I get my allowance from home 
tomorrow. (Enters tent and returns a moment later.) 
A five dollar bill — just enough to save my skin. (Exits 
left,) 

(Enter Dick) 

Dick — Now for the ball game. I wonder where that 
bat is. Perhaps it's in Headquarters. (Puts his head in 
tent.) Ah, here it is. (Picks up bat.) 

(Exits on the run just as Mr. Hale enters and stands 
looking after him.) 

(Enter Bill) 

Bill — Say, Mr. Hale, the fruit peddler is waiting for 
his money. 

Mr. Hale — All right, Bill — just a moment. (Enters tent 
and returns in a moment looking very much troubled.) 
Tell the peddler I'll pay him tomorrow, and then send 
Dick to me as fast as you can. 

Bill— Yes, sir. (Exit.) 

Mr. Hale — The desk drawer open and the money gone! 
Can it be that Dick, the straightest fellow in Camp, has 
stooped so low? I can't believe it. (Enter Dick.) 

Dick — Did you send for me, Mr. Hale? 

Mr. Hale — Dick, what were you doing in my tent a 
few moments ago? 

Dick — Why, I took a baseball bat for the game, sir. 

Mr. Hale — I left here for just a few moments. Upon 
my return I find you running from the tent, and I dis- 
cover that my desk has been opened, and a five dollar bill 
is missing. That leads to but one conclusion, Dick. 



CALLING JACK'S BLUFF !« 

Dzcl— Why, Mr. Hale, do you mean to say you believe 
that I— 

Mr. Hale—T hate to think it, but the facts — 

Dick — No one has ever dared call me a thief, sir, and 
I won't stand for it. I — 

{Enter Sam Jason) 

Sam — Say, Dick — it'll take all my change to break 
that five spot you gave me for the soda at the store. You 
can pay up later. (Holds out five dollar bill.) 

Mr. Hale — Give it to me, Sam. (Turning to Dick.) 
That settles it, young man. Pack your things and be 
ready to leave Camp on the next train. 

Dick — ^Why, Mr. Hale, that was my own money. My 
father sent it — I — 

Mr. Hale — That will do, Dick. I have never been so 
disappointed in a fellow in my life. You may consider 
a dismissal in disgrace a light enough punishment in view 
of the circumstances. 

(Mr. Hale enters tent) (Enter Dave) 

Dave — What's the matter, old man? You look sick! 

Dick — Dave, I'm being sent home as a common thief. 
(Exit with head bowed. Dave also exits with his arm 
over Dick's shoulder.) 

(Enter Jack, who hears last remark) 

Jack — Well, what do you know about that? Dick, of 
all fellows, accused of taking the money. Well, I'm 
getting my innings, sure enough. I squared up with old 
Corntassel, too, so that's fixed. 

(Exit) (Enter Constable) 

Constable — (Looking around) — I wonder who's the 
boss of this here ranch? 

Mr. Hale — (Coming out of Headquarters Tent) — I am, 
sir. 

Constable — (Showing his star) — Oh, you are, eh? 
Well, how'd you like spendin' a few weeks in the lock-up 
for harborin' the all-firedest bunch of peace-breakers 
that ever came up the river? How'd you like that, eh? 

Mr. Hale — What do you mean, Mr. Constable? What 
has happened? 



10 CALLING JACK'S BLUFF 

Constable — What has happened, says you, what has 
happened? Say, you're a cool one. What wouldn't hap- 
pen in a peaceful law abidin' community when you let 
loose a lot of wild animals? What wouldn't happen, eh? 

Mr. Hale — Please calm yourself, sir, and tell me plainly 
what is the matter. 

Constable— Matter'! Matter? I'll tell ye what's the 
matter. Day before yesterday a nice little bungalow stood 
over here in the woods ready to keep the night chills and 
the rain off any law-abidin' citizen that made up his 
mind to lay his head on the pillows inside. Yesterday, 
the wind was a whistlin' through it, and the whole 
bloomin' concern looked like it had been hit by a Kansas 
cyclone. There wasn't a dodgasted window left in the 
place. Matter, says you, matter! Well, you can explain 
that to old Judge Grander, because I'm agoin' to arrest the 
whole bloomin' outfit. 

Mr. Hale — Now, Mr. Constable, our boys do not de- 
stroy property and I am sure that you are accusing the 
w^rong crowd, but I assure you that if, by the remotest 
chance, any of our fellows are found to be guilty they 
shall not stay another day in this camp. Furthermore, I 
shall at once take steps to replace the windows at my own 
expense. 

Constable — Well, I'll give ye a chance to do something 
about it. Ye look like a pretty straight feller, and I 
s'pose you do have your hands well nigh full up with 
this pack of (shudders) — Ugh — I wouldn't have your job 
for all the money on earth. 

(Exit Constable Squire to the right) 
Mr. Hale — (Heaving a great sigh) — Well, camp life is 
certainly one blooming thing after another. But then the 
boys seem to be having the time of their lives, so I pre- 
sume it's all in the game. 

(Loud cries of boys, mingled with the honking of an 
auto horn, are heard outside.) 

Mr. Hale — What on earth has happened now? 



CALLING JACK'S BLUFF 11 

Bill — (Bushing onto stage almost out of breath) — 
Oh, Mr. Hale, come quick — Dick lias been run down by 
an automobile. I'm afraid he's dead. 

Mr. Hale — Where is he? 

Bill — Over there — (pointing to left.) 

(Mr. Hale rushes off, followed by Bill.) 

(A moment later all boys of the Camp except Jack 
enter with Mr. Hale and the cliauffeur, the latter carrying 
Dick. Dick is taken into tent, while boys crowd about 
door. Mr. Hale appears again.) 

Mr. Hale — Get the doctor, quick, one of you: (Enter 
Doctor) Oh, here he is. Hurry up. Doc. (Both enter tent.) 

Mr. Hale — (Reappearing and looking very much dis- 
tressed) — Boys, stand back from the tent, please. Now, 
how did this happen? 

(All boys start to talk at once at tops of tlieir voices.) 

Boys, boys — be quiet. (Boys quiet down.) Bill, you 
tell me all about it. 

Bill — Well, it was this way, Mr. Hale. Jack meets 
Dick out in the road and Jack says something mean about 
Dick being sent home and getting all that was coming to 
him. Dick gives him a piece of his mind. Jack stands 
in the middle of the road, and Dick is off to the side. 
Jack starts his old gag of wanting to fight, and is just 
about ready to start in, when all of a sudden a big ma- 
chine comes a tearin' down the line at 60 miles an hour. 
Jack hears the horn and turns around. Then he gets 
all mixed up and don't seem to know which way to run. 
The first thing I know, Dick jumps right at him, shoves 
him across to the other side, and then sprawls out on the 
road with the auto right on top of him. 

Mr. Hale — Where is Jack now? 

Jack — (Entering) — Here I am, sir. (Takes Mr. Hale by 
the arm and speaks with great emotion) — Tell me, please, 
is — is — is Dick dead? 

Mr. Hale — No, not dead. Jack, but I'm afraid he is very 
seriously injured. We can only hope for the best. 



12 



CALLING JACK'S BLUFF 



Jack — {Hanging his head) — Mr. Hale, I want to tell 
you somethin'. Dick didn't take that money from your 
tent — I did it, and let him take the blame. I've always 
treated him like a cad, and here he went and saved my 
life. {Grasps Mr. Hale by both arms) — Please, please, 
have me arrested — lick the life out of me — do something 
— I can't stand it — 

{Doctor appears in door of tent. Jack rushes up to 
him.) 

Oh, Doc, tell me — tell me — how is he? Will he live? 

Doctor — {After a pause) — Yes, Jack he'll live, but it 
was a mighty narrow escape. I'll take him over to the 
hospital until he is on his feet. One of you will please 
help me with the stretcher. 

{Doctor re-enters tent.) {All rush for door, and Jack 
jumps in front of them, holding up his hand.) 

Jack — Hold on, fellows — Nobody but me is going to 
help the Doc, and if Mr. Hale will just give me another 
chance I'll show you that I can be as straight a guy as any 
of the rest of you. 

{Reaches down just inside flap of tent, picks up 
stretcher by front handles, and starts to walk across 
stage, assisted by Doctor.) 

Ed — {Going up to Doctor) — Doc, let me take the other 
end, will you? Dick's a prince. 

{Jack and Ed carry off stretcher, followed by the 
other boys, as curtain falls.) 



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